Electronic devices such as personal computers have become indispensable tools for business and personal use. In addition to a wide variety of applications that may be run on a personal computer, personal computers also serve as communications terminals for access to the Internet. Portable personal computers, generally known as “laptop” or “notebook” computers, have become increasingly popular because their portability allows access to the wide variety of computer applications when traveling, such as on airplanes. However, although continued progress has been made in reducing the weight and bulk of portable personal computers, they are still too large and heavy to be easily carried in many instances.
The functionality of portable personal computers is also sometimes limited by the number of hardware components included in the computers. However, the functionality of such computers can be increased by the use of removable modules that can be received by the computers. For example, many portable personal computers have an extra bay that can receive a floppy disk drive, a second hard disk drive, a CD-ROM or DVD drive, an extra battery, etc. Similarly, a portable personal computer can be provided with a wireless receiver, a global positioning system (“GPS”) receiver, a TV tuner, etc. by inserting an appropriate card into an externally accessible slot. Although these modules can improve the functionality of portable personal computers, they cannot be used, and thus perform no useful function, when they are removed from the computers.
Another limitation of conventional personal computers is the inability to use them to instantly review information, such as to look up a phone number or an address. Before the computer can be used to access the information, the computer must be turned on and then “boot up” by running an initialization sequence and loading an operating system. This process can take a considerable period of time. Furthermore, it is generally necessary to open up the portable computer to turn it on and access the information. It can be difficult to perform this function under certain circumstances, such as when driving a car or sitting in the small confines of an aircraft seat.
Various devices have been developed to address these and other limitations of conventional portable personal computers, such as laptop and notebook computers. The most prevalent of these devices is the personal digital assistant, or “PDA,” which provides some of the functionality of a portable personal computer without the size and weight of such computers. This limited functionality generally includes an appointment calendar, an address or contact list, a task list and email capability when coupled to a suitable communication link, which may be wireless. In some cases, a cellular telephone is built into the PDA, and various applications having limited functionality, such as spreadsheets and word processors, are also available. PDAs offer a convenient means of using the limited functionality that they offer because it is not necessary to open a cover to view their display screens. Furthermore, there is minimal delay in accessing PDAs because their operating system remains stored in random access memory when the PDA is turned off so it may be executed by an internal processor as soon as power is applied to the processor. It is therefore not necessary to wait for a boot sequence to execute and an operating system to be loaded. When the PDA is turned off, power continues to be applied only to essential circuitry like a volatile random access memory, thus preserving the useful life of an internal battery before recharge is needed.
Although PDAs have been very successful in making limited computer functions conveniently available to users, they do not provide all of the functionality and ease of use of a portable personal computer. As a result, business travelers and others often buy and transport with them a PDA and a personal computer.
The usefulness of a portable personal computer can often be enhanced by coupling the computer to other devices. For example, a portable personal computer can be provided with wireless communication capability by coupling the computer to a cellular telephone. Although communications capability can be provided by other means, such as by coupling the personal computer to a wireless adapter, a cellular telephone is often indispensable for voice communications. Therefore, travelers frequently buy and transport with them a cellular telephone for use in voice communications and to enhance the utility of their portable personal computers.
Other electronic devices are also frequent travel companions for business and personal use. For example, a digital camera is useful in both business and personal travel. By coupling a digital camera to a portable personal computer, image files stored in the camera can be downloaded to the computer for storage. Images from the stored image files can then be edited on the computer using commercially available photo editing applications. Video cameras are sometimes built in to portable personal computers, and they could be used to capture digital images. However, the weight and bulk of portable personal computers makes them difficult to use and carry for the purpose of taking photographs. As a result, a person traveling with a personal computer who desires to take photographs is likely to bring with him or her a stand-alone digital camera.
Audio players, usually employing an MP3 decoding and playback capability, are also frequent companions of business and personal travelers. While a personal computer can store and play back MP3 and other audio files, it is often not practical to carry a portable personal computer when engaging in some activities. For example, while recreational runners frequently carry MP3 players with them while running so they can listen to music, it would be impractical to carry a personal computer while running. As a result, it is often desirable to have an audio player even if a portable personal computer is available. The same considerations apply to portable DVD viewers.
In summary, there are a large number of very useful electronic devices that can be advantageously used with portable personal computers. Although these devices could be built into portable personal computers, doing so would greatly detract from the practical utility of such devices. Thus, one sees or can expect to see “well-wired” business and personal travelers carrying most or all of a portable personal computer, a PDA, a cellular telephone, a digital camera, a music player, a DVD viewer, and whatever new electronic device that is introduced in the future. The difficulty carrying all of these devices, as well as the cost of buying them, threatens to limit their usefulness.
There is therefore a need to take advantage of the usefulness of electronic devices that can be used with a portable personal computer without the expense and transportation difficulties of obtaining a large number of such devices and without the difficulty of use that would be created by using them as part of a portable personal computer.